Before narrowly approving Blavatt's appointments by a 3-2 vote Tuesday night, two board members voiced their displeasure with some of his administrative choices, turning a normally quick agenda item into a lengthy discussion.

Board member Dianne Bonfield objected to the relocation of 10 assistant principals involving 11 schools. She said she had no problem with the decision to reappoint the administrators — she just did not feel they should be removed from their current schools.

"We have a new superintendent coming on board, and I feel that this is simply too much disruption at this point in time," she said. "There's a very important and delicate balance between a principal and an assistant principal."

After the meeting, Bonfield said a number of school administrators were taken aback by the moves.

"Most of those people — it was involuntarily," she said. "They were just hit over the head with that. They had no idea until he said, 'You're moving.' "

Blavatt, who retires Friday, took issue with Bonfield's motion, saying he was acting well within his rights.

"I am going to express to you, to the board members," Blavatt said, as he grew noticeably frustrated, "that my interpretation of the law is that it is beyond the purview of a board of education member to, in fact, determine where teachers or principals or anyone else is transferred to."

Bonfield's motion — to keep the 10 assistant principals from switching schools — died for lack of a second.

Earlier in the meeting, board member Cynthia Moore made a motion to approve Blavatt's recommendations without three principals who she felt weren't qualified for the positions. That motion failed 4-1.

Danny Valentine can be reached at dvalentine@tampabay.com or (352) 848-1432. On Twitter: @HernandoTimes.

There is a reason why the air in Tampa Bay is filled with playoff talk. If Thursday night's 12-8 Bucs preseason win over the Jaguars is any indication, it's also going to be filled with footballs thrown by quarterback Jameis Winston.